


Of Fire and Light

by byunthebunny



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dragons, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Romance, Royalty, sekai if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 19:42:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21021215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byunthebunny/pseuds/byunthebunny
Summary: Chanyeol needs to tame his dragon if he wants to keep his crown, but Baekhyun is too adorable to be tamed.





	Of Fire and Light

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #: T161 from exomonsterfest 2019
> 
> A/N: For the sake of this story, the dragons are big enough for humans to ride, but not gigantic. Kind of like “how to train your dragon” sized hehe.  
I also want to thank the mods for the fest and the propter for this lovely idea. 
> 
> It’s a bit short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

The castle stands high amongst the clouds on one of the tallest mountains of the realm. It was built there for a reason and one reason alone — to be easily accessible for dragons. A fact made obvious by the large corridors and tall doors that allow such creatures to pass by.

While others hunted them down in fear, Chanyeol’s people noticed the shapeshifters’ real potential and tamed them, welcomed them into their hearts and homes. An act that later ensured their victory in battle and reputation as notorious dragon riders. So, obviously, their rulers need to tame their own dragons to prove themselves worthy of the crown.

Chanyeol knows all this by heart, understands that this is the history of his people and is proud of it. He _is!_ So his mother can just quit telling this tale every year on his birthday and jump straight to the part where he gets his presents!

For as long as Chanyeol remembers, his mother is always angry at him, at both her children, actually, but with him it feels different. She screams at him a little louder, grounds him for a bit longer compared to his brother. But she also gives him the best gifts, and this is going to be the best one yet. Because today, on Chanyeol’s twelfth birthday, the young Prince is finally old enough to have a dragon of his own, and he can barely wait to meet him.

Twitching on his seat from the excitement, Chanyeol barely listens to the nobles that offer him words of praise and shiny objects. For every one of the guests who walk away from him, the closer Chanyeol is to receiving the only thing that matters at the moment.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, his mother, Empress Bora, stands from her golden throne and looks at the simpler, smaller chair Chanyeol is sitting on beside her. When she speaks, Bora keeps her eyes on him, but her confident voice is loud enough to be heard throughout the ballroom.

“As per tradition, I have searched far and wide for a companion suitable for my heir. I have encountered merciless killers and creatures full of wisdom, but none of them compares to the dragon I brought you today, Chanyeol.”

The doors open and, unable to hold back any longer, the young Prince jumps from his seat. The Empress’ eyes sparkle with anger at his lack of manners, but for once Chanyeol doesn’t mind. Two guards march inside the room, accompanied by a small child. A boy.

Chanyeol skips the steps down the stairs to inspect him. By the white hair, it is clear that the strange boy is a shapeshifter, rather than a normal human. He is panicked, anxiously looking around the room like a trapped animal searching for an escape route, but he doesn’t dare look straight at Chanyeol.

This can’t be his dragon, there’s no way. A dragon companion is supposed to be Chanyeol’s most important servant. They’re supposed to train, to march together into battle, and rule his mother’s vast Empire. But this boy Bora brought Chanyeol is too fluffy and wimpy. If it wasn’t for the colored hair, Chanyeol would’ve never guessed he is a dragon at all.

“His name is Baekhyun, I found him orphaned on the Southern Islands,” the Empress says, still up on her throne.

“He’s tiny,” Chanyeol complains, wrinkling his nose. “And doesn’t look scary.”

“Patience, child,” Bora tells her son, then scowls at the dragon boy. “Shift,” she orders.

Flinching at her tone, the small boy bends forward to turn into a dragon with all the grace of his kind. His eyes grow bigger and his smooth skin becomes scaled. It’s quick, maybe even too quick to be appreciated properly, but the final product makes Chanyeol’s mouth fall open. Someone whistles in the crowd, the guests clap their hands.

Chanyeol would describe most dragons as having scales ranging from ugly reds to sickly greens, but Baekhyun’s scales are a gorgeous white. There’s a sparkle to them, almost glittery under the chandelier’s lights. So far in his life, the Prince has seen a fair share of dragons but never once has he found one of them so enchanting.

Without meaning to, Chanyeol walks closer to him, causing Baekhyun to take an anxious step back.

“He is perfect,” Chanyeol says, voice cracking at the end. Clearing his throat, he repeats himself louder so his mother can hear him.

_Perfect?_

Baekhyun finally looks at Chanyeol, who is smiling at him like he is the most enchanting creature in the world. A warm feeling settles inside him, soothing the dragon’s fears. Humans were never kind to him, but maybe this one will…

The Empress smiles at Chanyeol from her seat. Not the professional smile she puts up in front of others, or the relieved smile she shoots him when Chanyeol manages to not embarrass her. This time, Bora smiles like a mother does when she’s proud of her children, and Chanyeol’s heart almost gets stuck in his throat when he thanks her.

“Mother, you gave me the best pet of all! Thank you!”

Happily, Chanyeol turns back to the dragon in front of him. Baekhyun isn’t scared anymore, but the warm feeling was gone as fast as it had arrived, replaced by something else entirely. Now, the dragon snorts angrily at the oblivious Prince in front of him.

_A pet?_

During the few days prior to the dragon’s arrival, the servants turned Chanyeol’s playroom into a bedroom to the Prince’s new companion. It was meant to symbolize that Chanyeol is no longer a child.

At the time, watching all his toys being taken from him was sad, but now that he finally met Baekhyun, Chanyeol couldn’t be more excited to have him sleep right next door. Their rooms even have a secret door so they can meet anytime!

However, Baekhyun isn’t half as happy. He doesn’t gasp at the shiny decoration and isn’t curious enough to check the huge balcony. Still in his dragon form, Baekhyun goes straight for the bed and pulls the sheets off.

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol asks as the white dragon makes himself a nest right there on the floor. “Try the bed! It’s fluffy,” the young Prince insists, jumping on it to make a point.

Baekhyun huffs and turns the other way, settling comfortably on his improvised nest. Chanyeol pouts.

“Helloo?” He circles the dragon, who stubbornly keeps his eyes closed. “Can you hear me?”

Irritated, Baekhyun keeps turning the other way, but Chanyeol insists on following him every time. Finally, the dragon undoes his nest to cover himself with the blankets, leaving only his long tail out.

“Okay, fine!” Chanyeol says bitterly, even as he thinks the dragon is acting kind of cute.

Back in his room, Chanyeol settles to sleep. The dragon’s refusal to shift back into a boy is beyond frustrating. Chanyeol isn’t a fan of guessing games, and it would be way simpler if Baekhyun just _told_ him why he is angry.

Chanyeol is about to doze off when a whimpering has him jumping off the bed. Trying to convince himself that monsters aren’t real, the young Prince slowly walks towards Baekhyun’s bedroom.

It isn’t raining, but the moon is hidden behind ugly clouds, leaving the room darker than usual. Still, he manages to find Baekhyun’s trembling figure.

“Are you lonely? Do you want me to stay?”

Startled, Baekhyun turns to the Prince in a flash, frantically shaking his head _no. _He hadn’t heard Chanyeol entering the room.

What a prideful little dragon, refusing any help even when he is scared…

“Well, _I’m_ lonely, so I’m going to sleep here,” Chanyeol lies, feeling a small sense of victory when Baekhyun makes room for him in the pile of blankets.

At dawn, the sitter finds Chanyeol sleeping on the floor with the white dragon cuddling him. A scene that would repeat itself numerous times.

Refusing to be treated as a mere _pet_, Baekhyun never listens to an order, so Chanyeol has to go to extreme lengths to get him to behave.

To the rest of the court, it feels like the dragon has more control than his young master. This isn’t how things are supposed to go, to say the least, and the empress isn’t pleased with their dynamic. But Chanyeol can’t think of anything else, and he definitely can’t bring himself to scold a dragon as pretty as Baekhyun.

Even after years pass by and they’re no longer children.

✧

As the Crown Prince, Chanyeol lives by a strict set of rules that, to be quite honest, don’t always make sense to him. He never sleeps late, attends every meeting that requires the presence of a royal — and even some that don’t —, doesn’t go to bed until he finishes work, never uses the fish fork to eat meat, and so on.

However, the one rule that he can’t seem to master is consequently the only one that matters to his people. Chanyeol, for all his money and status, can’t seem to make his dragon obey him.

Standing beside the Empress at a hearing, he can feel the advisors judgy eyes locked on him like there’s a target painted on his face. Once again, Baekhyun has failed to show up in time, which, in a way, means that _Chanyeol_ has failed.

The Empress is so angry, Chanyeol feels bad for anyone who chose today of all days to climb the mountain to make a request. His mother isn’t in the mood to grant favors. At her feet, her dragon growls lowly, intimidating any who dares come too close to his scales as dark as despair and eyes golden like desire.

As a lord goes on about how well the preparations for the Fire Festival are going, Yixing, one of Chanyeol’s guards, enters the room. Trying not to draw too much attention to himself, the guard walks to the Prince to whisper in his ear.

“We have a problem. It’s Baekhyun.”

On the outside, Chanyeol doesn’t even twitch, he has years of practice after all. But on the inside, the Prince wants to scream. Discreetly, he requests for his mother to allow him to leave.

“Just go, I don’t know why you even bothered to show up without him,” she whispers, unfazed. “Keep failing me, and there will be _dire consequences_.”

Just like that, she turns her attention back to the farmer as if Chanyeol isn’t there anymore, as if she didn’t just threaten her oldest son.

It’s not that Bora is cruel, that’s just how their people are — ruthless and rough, just like the creatures they raise. Other countries have their women dressed in silk and lace and treat them like delicate, irrational beings that are unfit to rule. Meanwhile, their Empire thrives under the rule of an unforgiving Empress, who dresses herself in leather and would rather feed her children to wolves than have them embarrass her or her legacy.

Chanyeol’s rarely hurt by her words, just worried about his prospects.

Leaving the room, he follows Yixing through the vast corridors. One of the rules guiding Chanyeol’s life states that he isn’t supposed to run in public, but he can’t help but hurry inside the kitchen when he hears the screams.

The place is a disaster. White feathers fly everywhere, pans and pots have been turned over, spilling its contents all over. Covered in flour, the staff runs after wild ducks while trampling fallen tomatoes. Chanyeol stares back at Yixing, who is still standing wide-eyed at the door.

“What? I’m not going in there,” the guard responds.

A burst of laughter resonates from amidst the chaos. Searching for the source of the sound, Chanyeol finds the culprit, Baekhyun himself, sitting on a counter while holding a duck in his arms. The smile on the shapeshifter’s face dissipates when he sees the Prince.

“Oh, shit.” Baekhyun gets up. “Is the hearing over? I thought I still had time,” he lies. And Chanyeol knows that it’s a lie by the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Grabbing the shifter by the arm, Chanyeol wordlessly pulls him out of the huge kitchen while the servants successfully catch the birds one by one. It’s only when they’re safely out of the war zone that Chanyeol scolds him.

“What did you do?” He asks, loud and firm.

Baekhyun stares up at him, blinking his eyes innocently despite the fact that Chanyeol knows he is anything but innocent.

“I was on my way, but then I saw the commotion in the kitchen and wanted to help…”

Baekhyun trails off, raising the duck he is still carrying towards Chanyeol as proof. The feisty animal flaps its wings, and Baekhyun quickly hugs it against his chest so it doesn’t escape his grip.

“Lies, you were the one who set them free!” A maid cries out from afar. “We were going to serve duck for supper.”

“Hey, no eavesdropping!” Baekhyun screams back at her playfully.

The kitchen starts to quiet down, but Chanyeol can hear anger in the cooks’ voices when they talk to each other. This isn’t a new occurrence. By now, the servants can barely stand the dragon and his stupid pranks.

“I can help them clean up,” Baekhyun offers, frowning when a cook begs Chanyeol to not allow him in the kitchen ever again.

“He needs to wear a leash,” the maid whispers with distaste, and a few others nod their heads in agreement. Baekhyun snaps his head towards her with a growl, showing his pointy teeth. Startled, she averts her eyes.

Baekhyun turns back to his Prince, waiting for his reaction, but all he gets is a hard stare. “They were being mean,” he mumbles. “I could hear them gossiping from the corridor.”

With a sigh, Chanyeol massages his temples. He knows exactly what comes next, what the servants expect from him in these situations. Keeping a dragon in his place is one of the golden rules, so Chanyeol’s voice is stern when he speaks again.

“We’ll talk about this later. Right now, you are going to stop tormenting the kitchen staff so they can still cook supper.” By the groans from the audience, he knows that they want Baekhyun to be punished. “And since you gave them extra work, you won’t get to eat for the rest of the day. Now give them the duck back.”

Baekhyun’s mouth hangs open and he hugs the bird closer to him. “What? No! And I skipped breakfast, I’m going to starve!”

“Sounds like a problem that isn’t mine,” Chanyeol shrugs, winning a few laughs from the staff. He smiles confidently at Baekhyun’s scowl. “Yixing, help them clean up, I need to talk to my dragon in private.”

Baekhyun doesn’t wait for them to be alone before whining about his punishment, but the Prince does wait to respond.

Once they’re in his office, Chanyeol closes the door behind them. There, hidden from prying eyes of a demanding audience, he drops the tough act and shows just how tired he is.

“Baekhyun, I thought we agreed that you were going to the hearing with me today.”

“Did we? From what I remember, you tried to bribe me into going and pretended not to hear the sarcasm in my voice when I said: _yeah, sure, I would love to sell my freedom for a box of chocolates, no problem!_” Baekhyun rolls his eyes and puts the duck down, which is good, Chanyeol wouldn’t be able to take him seriously if he kept holding the bird. “The chocolates were good, by the way. Thanks.” He grins proudly.

Annoyed, Chanyeol walks around the shifter to sit on his chair. With his head high and his hands on his hips, Baekhyun stares him down.

“Maybe I’d be more inclined to go if we were _friends_.”

Chanyeol groans so loudly, Baekhyun frowns, offended.

It’s not that the Prince is repulsed by the idea of being Baekhyun’s friend or anything, it’s just that he’s been trying it for years. Chanyeol has always considered Baekhyun a friend, so his words tend to hurt him. All the dragon ever does is complain and act like he isn’t even trying. He must have heard this _‘let’s be friends’ _excuse about a hundred times.

If it was up to Chanyeol, he’d get to call the beautiful shapeshifter something much more intimate than _a friend_.

“From the moment we met, you’ve done nothing but treat me like a pet! And today you scolded me in front of anyone and did nothing when they talked like I was a dog.” Baekhyun crosses his arms in front of him.

“No, from the moment we met, I’ve done nothing but praise you and shower you with gifts!” They’ve fallen into this argument so many times, Chanyeol feels like an actor saying rehearsed lines. “And I scolded you for acting like a child, that is different.”

“I won’t behave like you want me to, Chanyeol, not until you realize that I don’t want to be one of your servants, I…” Baekhyun’s expression softens. It always does when he voices his feelings. “I want you to treat me like a friend.”

Smiling so sweetly, the dragon almost seems cute. His puppy eyes are pleading, his cheeks slightly pink. How dare he act cute? Chanyeol wants to shake Baekhyun until he apologizes, but it’s highly unlikely that it would work.

“Fine,” he gives in, smiling through gritted teeth. “How do I become your friend?”

Baekhyun brings a hand to his chin as if pondering about the issue. Below them, the wretched duck quacks, demanding attention, and Baekhyun’s face lights up with a bright idea.

The Empress isn’t pleased when Baekhyun joins them for supper followed by a rude duck wearing a bright red bow. On the other hand, Chanyeol’s younger brother couldn’t be more amused at the dragon’s new pet.

✧

Unlike Chanyeol, who lives for his routine, Baekhyun refuses to have his days planned ahead of time. To the servants’ dismay, he wakes when he wants to, eats when he feels like and arrives late to his classes and meetings. But the one thing he never fails to do is interrupt Chanyeol whenever the Prince finds himself working until late in the evening.

Baekhyun always comes with a silly excuse, claiming to be bored or in need of attention, but the Prince knows better. Though the dragon doesn’t dare to admit it, he truly worries about Chanyeol overworking himself.

So, during that night, Chanyeol feels a bit disappointed when his brother is the one to pop his head inside the office.

“Stop staring and come in,” Chanyeol sighs.

Sehun waltzes into the room with all the confidence of a Prince whose presence is always welcomed. He doesn’t wait for an invitation before making himself comfortable on one of the puffy armchairs.

“You gave him a pet duck, brother? Really?” Sehun mocks, crossing his legs. “I wish I knew what goes on inside that head of yours. Surely, it can’t be just _air_.”

Chanyeol keeps his attention to the papers on his desk, though his eyes have stopped moving to read them.

“Just tell me what you want and leave,” he says, not in the mood to chit-chat and, honestly, a bit bitter Baekhyun hasn’t come to see him yet.

“Straight to business then,” Sehun laughs lightly, but something akin to worry haunts his expression. “Chanyeol, how are things going with your little beast?”

Pretending not to be bothered by the subject, Chanyeol shifts the papers around to appear busy. “Don’t let Baekhyun hear you calling him that, or you might wake tomorrow covered in pudding again.”

“You see! That’s exactly what I came to talk about. Mother was really mad today, I don’t think she’s going to wait much longer for you to tame the beast.”

_He has a name, maybe you should use it. _Chanyeol thinks to himself, putting the papers down to give his brother a bored stare. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he chooses to say instead.

Impatiently uncrossing his legs, Sehun leans forward. “I think I have the answer to your problems,” he says.

“Doubtful,” Chanyeol scoffs.

Like Sehun would know the first thing about taming a dragon. As the second child, he never got one from the Empress. For Sehun to have a dragon, he will have to search and tame one himself, and he isn’t interested in anything that requires this amount of work. Sehun will never understand the bond between Chanyeol and Baekhyun. To him, Baekhyun is only a means to one end, and he is failing spectacularly on doing his job.

“Just hear me out,” Sehun insists. "I think you should try to be more _open_ about your options, brother.“ He pauses, waiting for a response. When all Chanyeol does is stare blankly at him, Sehun sighs and goes on. “There are _other dragons_ in the Empire, and not all of them are going to hate you if you know what I mean.”

Realization dawns on Chanyeol, though he wishes he didn’t understand what his brother is getting at.

“You’re implying I should replace Baekhyun.”

Sehun shrugs. “At least _consider_ it. I can meet the nobles in your stead, see what they have to offer.”

Chanyeol doesn’t answer right away, which is a telling of how desperate he is. Replacing Baekhyun has never crossed his mind. It doesn’t feel right. Baekhyun is kind and he does care about Chanyeol, the only problem is that he doesn’t want to admit it.

Feeling his hesitation, Sehun tries to make him see the light. “Look, at this rate, mother will have no choice but to name me the new Crown Prince, and no one wants that.”

It’s only half a joke. The youngest Prince never cared enough about politics to learn how to rule. Besides, he believes that princes have much more fun than kings and emperors. Chanyeol is clearly the best option, but by their laws, he will never get the crown if his dragon remains untamed.

Chanyeol breathes in, slowly filling his lungs. He thinks about Baekhyun’s soft smile, the fullness of his cheeks when he chews on food, and the cute way he pouts whenever he is lost in thought.

“No,” he breathes out.

Frustrated, Sehun throws his hands in the air. “Come on, you let him get away with everything! How are you going to prove to the court that you’ve tamed the little beast if you can’t even-“

“I’ve given you my answer,” Chanyeol cuts him sharply. “Now leave, some of us still have work to do.”

That night, Chanyeol dreams of Baekhyun.

In his haze, he hears the smaller’s soothing voice singing to him a sweet melody and can almost feel a soft pressure on the corner of his lips.

When Chanyeol wakes up, he’s still alone in the office. But there’s a blanket on his shoulders that hadn’t been there when he dozed off.

✧

The castle seems emptier today yet, somehow, everyone that Chanyeol meets seems to be in a good mood.

The smiling staff doesn’t stutter or look down when serving the Empress her breakfast, and Sehun doesn’t tell Chanyeol off or calls his dragon a _little beast_. Even Bora pleasantly hums while eating her berries, right before advising Chanyeol to take the day off. It creeps him out so much, he doesn’t dare to ask why, only thank her for her kindness.

Yixing is the one who finally explains to the Prince what is going on when Chanyeol stops to scold him in the corridor.

“Where is your uniform?” Rather than being angry, Chanyeol is confused at the sight of the guard wearing his every-day clothes.

“Hm, the wagon that takes the servants to the festival is leaving soon. Last week, you said that I could go?” Yixing’s voice goes up at the end of the sentence as if he isn’t sure Chanyeol is going to remember their conversation.

“The Fire Festival… Is that today?” Chanyeol asks.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It must be weird to the guard that Chanyeol doesn’t know the festival has already started. Especially with all the red and orange decorations spread throughout the building and filling the patio. The Prince has been so worried lately, the date completely slipped his mind.

“Yes, sure. You can go.”

Yixing smiles, barely containing his happiness at being allowed to leave. Since only nobility has dragons to fly them around, he excuses himself to hurry to the wagon.

People celebrate the three-day festival with games, dances and nightly fireworks. They do have their own parties and feasts inside the castle during this period, but nothing compares to the common-folk festival at the base of the mountain.

Or at least that’s what Chanyeol heard. It’s not like he has ever been to a peasant party.

As a child, he once asked to go to the festival after hearing the servant's excited whispers. Seeing the glint in their eyes while they did every one of their tasks twice as fast made the event desirable to him as well. But the Empress immediately shut down his idea with a hard stare, her lips pressed into a thin line.

_"Festivals are for the people. We cannot take that from them."_

For years, he didn't understand her words. Chanyeol wanted to dance and eat and watch the fireworks burning in the night sky, not stop others from doing it. But then he started noticing the parties at the castle and how, in each festivity, the staff would either be serving him or smiling stiffly when they were allowed to participate.

Indeed, no one can let themselves loose in the presence of their masters and, by going, Chanyeol would only hinder their fun.

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t taken the day off, he has no idea what to do with his free time.

Looking out the window, Chanyeol sees a duck with pristine white feathers and a red bow swimming in the fountain. Baekhyun dips his hand in the water to splash the bird, and it flaps its wings in protest. He grins.

Before Chanyeol can think about what he’s doing, his feet move on their own accord until he is outside, walking on the green grass towards them.

“I don’t think ducks are allowed in the fountain,” Chanyeol motions to pet the duck, but it quacks menacingly as a warning. He promptly retracts his hand. “What did you call this wretched thing?”

“Sehunnie,” Baekhyun says matter of factly, walking away from the fountain to sit on the well-cut grass.

“Oh? And does my brother know you named a farm animal after him?”

“I won’t tell if you don’t,” he smiles at the Prince like a child who just got away with mischief. “Though, to be fair, Sehun has no reason to be offended. Sehunnie the duck is way smarter than him.”

Finishing his sentence, Baekhyun stretches himself with a groan. His shirt goes slightly up, revealing a hint of his belly-button. Chanyeol has to control his rising urge to poke belly.

"I don't have anything to do today," Baekhyun complains, laying on his back and covering his eyes with his hands. 

Sitting near the shifter, the Prince experimentally rests his head on the grass. Fluffy clouds slowly fly above them. He feels himself relaxing at their sight and the sound of Baekhyun's steady breathing.

_It must be nice to have no one to impress... do things at your own pace._

“Oh! Let's celebrate the festival in the city!" Baekhyun announces happily, earning a grimace from the Prince.

"It's too troublesome to go down the mountain just for a festival. Besides, we'd have to take guards and it would just create a ruckus amongst the common-folk."

His reasoning means nothing to the smaller, who is already standing up.

“Let’s just go in secret, no one will even know who we are,” Baekhyun insists.

That… could work. But there’s too much room for something to go wrong. Chanyeol is tempted to say no. They can just celebrate at the castle. Though, staring at Baekhyun’s hopeful droopy eyes, Chanyeol is reminded of the fact that Sehun was right on the other night. He has never been good at denying Baekhyun anything.

“Don’t you want to relax?" Chanyeol's voice comes out so crest-fallen that Baekhyun's lips can't help but twitch up.

He knows that he’s already won.

“I do!" The smaller offers his hand to help him up. "At the festival, while eating sweets."

"I could get you sweets." Is the mumble he gets in response, but Baekhyun pretends not to hear it, smiling so brightly that Chanyeol feels his reservations dissipating. With no other choice left, the Prince takes his hand. "Fine, but you're flying us down the mountain."

They don't land directly in the city, that would draw too much attention. Instead, Baekhyun aims for a small lake near the base of the mountain. Chanyeol gets off his back, carrying a bag with clean clothes for the shifter to use.

Hidden by the trees, Baekhyun shifts to his human form while Chanyeol stares.

It's... strange, to say the least. Chanyeol’s never hypnotized at the sight of other shifters, just him. There's something mesmerizing about the way Baekhyun turns — the way he scrunches his nose to concentrate, how he stretches when he's done — it's _adorable_. 

Their eyes meet. Baekhyun's glowing eyes, so lovely and that grow wide in surprise when he realizes Chanyeol has been staring. His nakedness becomes too evident, too tempting for the Prince not to want to take a closer look.

_Shit. What's wrong with me?_

Abruptly, Chanyeol turns his back to him, facing the lake.

“Can you, hm, pass my clothes?” Says the small voice behind him. 

Without looking back, Chanyeol awkwardly throws the bag with Baekhyun’s clothes. Behind him, the dragon quickly covers himself. The Prince clears his throat.

"Hurry up. I want to return before Sundown."

A warm hand intertwines with his, startling the already flustered Prince.

"What, you're going to turn back into a pumpkin at nightfall? Better hurry up then." Baekhyun smiles, then pulls him towards the city.

It's more beautiful than Chanyeol could have ever imagined. He'd been in the city below his castle a million times, but the whole place changed with the decorations.

Numerous small lamps light the way to the main event, where colorful stalls lure customers with the promise of tasty foods and fun games. A band plays cheerfully to dancing couples wearing red, orange or yellow — the colors of fire and the royal family's emblem. A gentle-looking old man offers people free roses in exchange for a song. It's weird, but in a good way. A group of children runs past them and a small girl with uneven pigtails stops, asking for a few coins to buy a bright blue paper lamp.

Chanyeol buys her three while Baekhyun grins at him.

"What? She needs to share with her friends," he says, tsking at Baekhyun's quirky smile.

The dragon rolls his eyes, though he enjoys the giggle that's forming in his chest. 

As it gets darker, the paper lamps shine more brightly, more beautifully. They fill the whole place with color, and Chanyeol doesn't even care to go back anymore.

Every so often, Baekhyun will grab his hand and drag him to a stall. Chanyeol finds himself falling behind more often than not, eagerly hoping Baekhyun will notice his absence and come back to hold onto him again. Without fail, Baekhyun comes back to get him every time with a smile on his lips. A kind smile that causes the taller's heart to do dangerous backflips inside his chest.

At least until Baekhyun pushes him towards the dancers as a punishment for getting himself lost so frequently.

Chanyeol knows how to dance. He can waltz perfectly into any ball and flip his partner as if they’re as light as a feather. But he knows nothing about _this_ dance.

The people dancing near the center of the square move with quick rehearsed steps, switching back and forth between partners, while others, like Baekhyun, move euphorically, earning applause and laughter from those who are watching.

Clearly, Chanyeol would rather dance with the first group of people. At least he won't feel as foolish if there’s some sort of order to his steps. Before the Prince can figure out the moves, a young woman pulls him to be her partner.

"W-wait, I don't know how to-"

She either doesn't hear or doesn't care about his embarrassment, and soon Chanyeol is tripping over himself to try to keep up with her pace. They twirl, hold hands, turn one way or the other and trade partners. All according to the rhythm of the song, which he's starting to understand.

Getting more confident as he gets the hang of it, Chanyeol trades partners once again, coming face to face with his small, white-haired companion. But rather than following the dance, Baekhyun spins them around before Chanyeol can catch his breath.

"I thought you were doing your own thing," Chanyeol screams, hoping the loud cheers and frantic music won't muffle his voice.

"I was," Baekhyun answers, equally loud and happy. "But I wanted to dance with you.”

They’re not following the steps at all and, to Chanyeol’s surprise, he doesn’t mind. Not with the way Baekhyun is smiling up at him.

Abruptly, they stop spinning, too dizzy to go on. Baekhyun laughs hysterically, tripping forward into the taller.

Chanyeol wraps his arms around him to keep him from falling, even though his world is spinning and his chest is about to explode. There's something serious in his gaze when he looks down at the smaller, something that urges Baekhyun to flutter his eyes closed. They move closer to each other.

Before their lips touch, a dancing man bumps on them, shaking Baekhyun out of the weird trance.

“Sorry!”

Without warning, the music stops.

The crowd looks to the sky expectantly, quieting down so only whispers can be heard.

A firework roars in the sky in all it's fiery glory. Followed by another, then another. The festival is at its climax, almost ending now, and the Prince was having so much fun he didn't even notice that the Sun had already set.

"I bet you think that watching them from above is better. It's kind of crowded here." Baekhyun wonders, not expecting an answer. He keeps admiring the fireworks, so he doesn't notice when Chanyeol's eyes trail down to him.

"Not really."

The fireworks burn away. Each explosion of color is another bright light that reflects on Baekhyun's face, another faint pang on Chanyeol's heart that he can't place. Their hands remain linked during the whole show.

With the final explosion of light, people cheer and applaud. Baekhyun turns to the Prince, smile faltering and cheeks reddening upon finding out he was being stared at. Again. His breath gets stuck in his throat.

“Stop doing that,” he laughs shyly.

The music resumes at a slower pace. Around them, couples start to dance with loving eyes, so close to one another that it’s a wonder they can move at all.

Suddenly feeling out of place, Baekhyun is the first to retract his hand and move away.

"We should get back…"

Chanyeol scratches his head.

"Yeah."

Silently, they walk back to the base of the mountain. The wind feels cold against their skin and the lamp lights no longer seem bewitching.

But Baekhyun's hand feels like it's on fire.

✧

Something changed between them during that night. For the first time since Chanyeol can remember, he doesn’t have to order or beg Baekhyun to attend official events. The dragon keeps following him everywhere out of his own free-will.

Together, they attend the Empress’ parties during the two remaining days of the festival. Baekhyun gives him mischievous looks when he’s amused and rests his head on Chanyeol’s shoulders when he’s sleepy and wants to go back to their room.

And then there’s the touching.

Baekhyun has his hands on him at all times, be it to hold, grab, or hug. It’s like they’ve gone back to being children, cuddling close during cloudy nights. Only, this time, Chanyeol doesn’t have to make excuses for Baekhyun, the dragon’s comfortable enough to act on what he wants.

During one morning, the Prince wakes to find Baekhyun curled beside him, whimpering in his sleep. In his human form, the smaller breathes heavily, with a hand holding onto Chanyeol. If it was possible to die from cuteness overload, he would’ve been dead and buried right then.

He should’ve imagined that those peaceful days weren’t going to last. They were the calm before a storm. He should’ve noticed the increasing number of dragons without masters entering the castle, and how they didn’t leave after the festival was done. He should’ve paid attention to the way Sehun didn’t have time to talk to him, always busy greeting his mysterious guests.

But then again, Chanyeol was too enamored with the beautiful dragon to pay much attention to anything else that happened around him.

It all comes crashing down too easily. Starting with Baekhyun waking up alone in the room and finding a note from Sehun, asking his brother to come meet him in the dining room.

Curiosity shoves his sleepiness away, and Baekhyun swiftly dresses himself to go look for them. He obviously wasn’t invited, but that was never an issue.

In the corridor, Baekhyun meets a handsome man he has never seen before. Dressed to impress, the man anxiously paces in front of the door to the dining room. Noticing his presence, the man shoots him a winning smile. Baekhyun smiles back mechanically.

“Are you here for the Prince too? I think we’re supposed to wait inside, but I needed to catch my breath,” he says, opening the door.

Chanyeol and Sehun are there, furiously whispering to each other while standing near the table filled with delicious food. Baekhyun almost smiles. Almost, but that’s before he notices that the dining room is filled with strange people.

A man checks his appearance on a hand mirror, while two visitors beside him share a heated conversation. On the far side of the room, a chubby man reads a history book. Everyone jumps on their seats when a red-scaled dragon knocks a plate with its long tail. The chubby man sneezes fire on his book and has to repeatedly shut it closed to set it out.

No, they’re not people. They're _Shifters_.

“What’s going on?” Baekhyun asks with a trembling voice.

The man studies him quizzically until a thought crosses his mind.

“Oh! You’re a court dragon? Please forgive my lack of manners.” He bows beautifully. “I’m Jongin. Sorry, I'm just nervous, it’s not every day that one gets the chance of becoming the Crown Prince’s new dragon.”

The sentence ends with a laugh, but it soon dies in his throat when he notices the look on Baekhyun’s face.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Jongin asks.

Sick to his stomach, Baekhyun steps inside the room without bothering to give him an answer. There’s a stone where his fluttery heart had been just minutes before, so if he opened his mouth just then, nothing good would have come out.

_Chanyeol is replacing me._

“Everyone out!” Baekhyun all but screams, startling everyone in the room.

The two Princes see him at the same time, both turning pale at his rage. Shooting daggers at Chanyeol, Baekhyun doesn’t mind that the others are still present and shoves him.

“What is this? Am I replaceable to you?”

“Leave, all of you,” Sehun orders. This time, the dragons do as they’re told. Except for the handsome shifter who opened the door to Baekhyun, he keeps his feet anchored where he stands.

Like a thief caught red-handed, Chanyeol desperately tries to explain himself. “Of course not, whatever you’re thinking, this isn’t-“

“What, you thought you could keep ignoring your responsibilities and there wouldn’t be any consequences?” Sehun cuts in. “At this rate, you won’t even be worth calling a _pet_.”

That is when Baekhyun jumps on Sehun, aiming for his neck. Jongin gasps, while Chanyeol screams for him to stop. Trying to ground himself, Sehun holds onto the tablecloth but falls anyway, bringing the expansive china down with him. Chanyeol grabs Baekhyun before he can jump on his brother again.

“You want to replace me? Don’t I mean anything to you?” Baekhyun barks his words with venom in every word.

Sehun gets back on his feet, flinching and holding a hand on his bleeding neck from Baekhyun’s bite. One look at the red liquid is more than enough for the dragon staring at the door, and he runs out with urgency to get help while Chanyeol’s explanation falls on deaf ears.

“No! No one is replacing you. Baekhyun, listen… Stop!”

Baekhyun struggles harder to get out of his arms. Half-transformed, the shifter is a mess of teary-eyes, shiny scales, and pointy teeth.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” The Empress’s voice is a storm more powerful than enraged dragons. It shakes the room with its anger, freezing everyone to the core.

They stop dead on their tracks. Behind Bora, Jongin holds his breath. She looks straight at Baekhyun, who flinches closer to Chanyeol.

“For how long are you going to terrorize my castle?”

It’s a question that requires no answer. Baekhyun knows better than to open his mouth, though he couldn’t muster the confidence to do it even if he tried. With a loud click of her tongue, the Empress shifts her rage to the man holding Baekhyun. Chanyeol’s grip turns painful under her burning glare.

“You’ll never be able to contain him. An Emperor as incompetent as you would rule this Empire straight to ruin.” For a moment, something akin to sadness reaches her eyes as she looks at her oldest son. Then, her face hardens once again. “I want you out of my castle.”

The Empress storms off, leaving her son to deal with her words on his own. It doesn’t matter how Chanyeol feels, or what his brother thinks. Her orders are clear.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun calls, voice small.

Without answering, Chanyeol lets Baekhyun out of his hold, but that’s not what the dragon wants anymore. He tries to grab onto Chanyeol, heart breaking when the Prince shakes his head.

“I need a moment.” He turns to leave.

Ignoring Baekhyun, Jongin goes straight to Sehun with a clean handkerchief to hold against his wound. He asks if the Prince needs help. Baekhyun barely registers that they’re still in the room, keeping his eyes glued to Chanyeol’s back until he is out of sight.

On his way out, Sehun bumps Baekhyun hard on the shoulder.

“Nice going,” he says.

Baekhyun doesn’t care that he’s being treated like trash. For once, he feels like he’s getting exactly what he deserves.

Anyone who walks by pretends not to hear the sobbing dragon inside of the Crown Prince’s bedroom. Baekhyun has been waiting for Chanyeol to appear for what feels like an eternity. He isn’t even sure what to say or do, but he does know that, at the very least, he owns the Prince an apology for getting him kicked out.

It’s implicit that Baekhyun no longer has a home as well. After all, he is only allowed to live in the castle because of Chanyeol. Besides, without him, he doesn’t want to keep living in this place anyway. Right now, the matter of where he should go is the least of his concerns.

Can Chanyeol ever forgive him? Gods, how Baekhyun hopes he does. Chanyeol studied all his life to become the next Emperor and there’s no one better than him for the position, despite what Bora says. Baekhyun can’t believe that he is the one who took his future away from him.

The Sun sets on the horizon, leaving him in the dark, and still no sight of his poor Prince. A scary thought enters Baekhyun’s mind. What if Chanyeol has already left?

Filled with dread, he breathlessly runs the entire castle searching for his Prince. He knocks down vases and bumps into clueless servants without caring to stop and apologize. The only task that he can focus on is finding Chanyeol and…

_And what? This is all my fault. _The poor dragon thinks to himself while tears of frustration cloud his vision._ If only I hadn’t lashed out. If I had talked to him. I should have told him that I…_

He finds Chanyeol in the garden, standing in front of the fountain. The Sun is long gone, leaving the place at the mercy of the moonlight. Baekhyun takes a few seconds to stabilize himself, recover his breath, and dry his tears before walking to him.

All alone, the Prince studies a golden coin in his hands. It shines brightly when he flips it into the fountain. The coin splashes in the water and sinks easily to the bottom.

“Making a wish?” Baekhyun asks when he is close enough to be heard. Rather than being curious, the dragon isn’t sure what else to say.

Without moving, Chanyeol takes a side glance at him. “Yeah,” he admits, eyes moving back to the fountain as his mouth twists in a sad smile. “It already didn’t come true.”

Baekhyun’s heart sinks in his chest, urging him to latch himself on Chanyeol and hold him close. He doesn’t. Instead, Baekhyun slowly settles for the Prince’s hand, squeezing it softly. Chanyeol squeezes him back. They stay like that, frozen in time while listening to the fountain’s flowing water until Baekhyun finally gathers the courage to do what he came here to.

“I’m sorry…” his apology is barely a whisper, it’s a wonder how Chanyeol hears it.

Turning to face him, the Prince rests a hand on the smaller’s cheek, feeling the dampness caused by the tears. Baekhyun’s eyes are puffy and filled with regret.

“Hey,” Chanyeol calls, but Baekhyun refuses to hear what he has to say.

“I screwed up, I’m so sorry. No wonder you want to replace me.” He holds Chanyeol’s wrist, trying to move his hand away from his face.

“I never wanted to replace you,” Chanyeol explains, bringing his other hand up to properly cup Baekhyun’s face and look him in the eye. “Sehun invited them without my knowledge.”

Baekhyun doesn’t sob, he no longer has the energy to cry. Still, his chest aches like it’s bleeding out.

“Well, he was doing the right thing. I’m the worst dragon in this court.” He smiles weakly, and Chanyeol kisses his wet cheek, silently begging him to not be sad. “Why aren’t you mad?”

“I was, but then I saw you.” Chanyeol laughs sweetly.

“You’re too nice,” Baekhyun complains. “It’s infuriating.”

He doesn’t deserve any kindness, not after what he did. Baekhyun was ready to receive the scolding of his life and beg for forgiveness. Chanyeol’s gentleness is only making him feel worse.

“What did you wish for?” He manages to ask, even though it hurts his throat to let the words out.

“I…” Chanyeol drifts off with a heavy sigh. “I wished you would trust me, Baek. I wished you would realize how much I care about you. Every time you say that we’re not friends, it breaks my heart all over again.”

Hoping that it is dark enough so the Prince can’t see the redness on his cheeks, Baekhyun shakes his head.

“You’re so confusing. When I misbehave someone or lash out, you scold me in public, then give me gifts when we’re alone. I can’t tell if you’re trying to bribe me or if you truly care.” Baekhyun looks down, losing the much-needed courage to keep looking into Chanyeol’s eyes as he comes clean. “Do you know why I misbehave? I want to see if you’ll stand up to me. Just once, I wish you’d care enough to tell off the people who talk like I’m some deranged animal.”

“Baekhyun-“

“It’s okay!” He tilts his head back up. “You don’t need to say anything, I know it was childish of me to act like that but…” his words become a whisper. “This is why I couldn’t consider you my friend. I just thought you should know since we won’t see each other again.”

Under the starlight, Chanyeol truly smiles for the first time since the smaller found him. Baekhyun is about to ask if the Prince lost his mind when Chanyeol closes the space between them, pulling Baekhyun into a chaste kiss.

One brush of their lips is enough to chase away all of his fears. Any bad thought is long forgotten, replaced with Chanyeol’s touch, his smell, the way his hand travels to the small of his back.

“Who said I’d leave without you?” Chanyeol asks.

Dizzily, Baekhyun smiles. “I’ll behave this time. Promise.”

“And I’ll punch anyone who treats you poorly.” Chanyeol caresses his back with a thumb, unknowingly mending Baekhyun’s broken heart in a way only he can.

“Deal,” Baekhyun says against his lips.

Now, the night that had seemed so dreadful and void of hope is impossibly romantic. Closing his eyes, Baekhyun pulls the Prince to a _proper_ kiss. Tilting his head, the smaller wraps his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and moans with the touch of their lips.

When they separate, Baekhyun can’t help but think that Chanyeol’s bright eyes put entire constellations to shame. He giggles, and Chanyeol doesn’t even think to ask why, too busy giggling away himself.

An unexpected bystander makes Baekhyun turn his head when he speaks.

“Wow, you sure look happy for a homeless man.” Sehun watches the two with amusement from a small distance.

“Go away,” Chanyeol says, still gazing at Baekhyun. He doesn’t even care to glance at his brother’s direction.

“I just spoke with mother. When were you planning to tell me you already convinced her to let you stay?” Sehun clicks his tongue.

That takes Baekhyun’s whole attention.

“What?” Pushing himself from Chanyeol, he barely contains the relief in his voice, despite his frustration. “How dare you not tell me? I was worried sick!”

The Prince tsks and takes his hand. “I was going to tell you, but your apology was so cute, I couldn’t interrupt it,” Chanyeol says with a cocky smile. “Then your lips distracted me.”

Baekhyun playfully shoves at him, and Chanyeol grabs him by the chin to kiss him. For a moment, Baekhyun lets him. He wouldn’t mind being kissed again and again, but Sehun clears his throat near them, reminding the dragon that there’s still something he must do.

Turning from the kiss, Baekhyun ignores Chanyeol’s complaints and faces the younger brother. Sehun stares him back, squinting his eyes.

“I’m not going to apologize,” he says stubbornly. “I still don’t think you’re good enough for my brother, and don’t go thinking that’s going to change just because I found the two of you _canoodling_.”

Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be? Baekhyun grins wickedly, coming closer to Sehun. Chanyeol softly calls his name as a warning, but everything’s okay. Baekhyun’s too tired to lash out again.

“Fine, then I won’t apologize either. But I will promise you that this was the last time Chanyeol got scolded because of me,” he says, voice heavy with sincerity.

Taken by surprise, Sehun blinks twice before finally answering.

“I will believe it when I see it.”

✧

During the following weeks, Empress Bora is pleasantly surprised to find her son and his dragon working seriously for a change. She is so proud, it’s like her threatening to kick Chanyeol out never happened.

The servants no longer badmouth about Baekhyun or imply that he is a pet, not after a maid got publicly scolded by the Prince himself. Having Baekhyun’s back is such a simple thing to do, Chanyeol is ashamed that he was more worried about proving himself than helping the smaller before.

As it turns out, Sehun inviting dragons to visit the castle doesn’t turn out to be a complete failure. He ends up keeping Jongin as his companion. However, Chanyeol can’t help but suspect that his brother is more interested in having the dragon serve him in bed than serve him in battle.

He always catches Sehun throwing heart eyes at Jongin. Chanyeol recognizes the loving look, he feels himself making it whenever Baekhyun enters his field of vision, no matter if the smaller is playing with his pet bird or rolling his lovely eyes at the Prince.

But, if he had to choose, Chanyeol would say that the loveliest sight is Baekhyun’s eyes opening in a shy smile, right after Chanyeol has stolen a kiss.

The smaller’s hands hold onto the Prince’s clothes, not caring if they get crumpled.

“Come on, Love. I think it’s my turn to ride you.”

Baekhyun’s smile is innocent, but the words that leave his lips make Chanyeol moan back into the needy kiss. His dragon wants him to show some fire, and Chanyeol is more than happy to indulge him. To make Baekhyun scream words of love and pleasure as he spoils him in their shared bedroom.

So Chanyeol whispers sweet nothings in his ears, kisses his moans and shares heated love confessions in the dark. He will indulge Baekhyun for as long as the dragon keeps him and, based on Baekhyun’s passionate yet blissful stare, and the way his heart beats like a drum under Chanyeol’s palm, he plans to keep him for good.


End file.
